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PATASKALA - Southwest Licking Local Schools officials remain concerned about the amount of money they contend they are losing to charter schools.

To that end, they are considering drawing up a bill for the lost funds and then submitting it to the state.

The school board discussed the proposal during a May 19 meeting.

School board President Debra Moore suggested the district consider the move.

Other public school district from around the state are doing the same, she said.

Treasurer Richard Jones supplied the board with some figures to illustrate how much the district is losing to charter schools.

Between 2002 and 2016, Jones said the district lost $6 million in funds to charter schools.

"Obviously, the state is not going to pay (the bill)," Jones said. "It's a statement more than anything."

The board ultimately instructed Jones to prepare the needed legislation. It could take action on it when it next meets in regular session on June 16.

In the meantime, board member Kandee Engle argued the state does not maintain a level playing field between charter schools and public schools.

"They're not being held to the same standards as we are," she said.

Board member Daniel Bell added he has no issue with charter schools. His issue, he said, is with the state pulling funding from public schools, including Southwest Licking.

Jones concurred. He said public schools from around the state would not be approving similar pieces of legislation if the state separated the way it funds public schools and charter schools.

"What they're doing is shorting our kids to give money to the charter schools," said Jones, when reached after the board's May 19 meeting.

The state's current funding formula subtracts money from Southwest Licking when a student from the district attends a charter school. For many districts, including Southwest Licking, that amount is more than the district receives in state funding.

Dozens of other schools from around the state have either sent the state bills or passed resolutions decrying the current way charter schools are funding.